Opinion Columns

Bartlett Bulletin: Countywide Paid Internship Program Launches

By OC Board of Supervisors Chairperson Lisa Bartlett Summertime is coming to a close, and this also means it is back-to-school season. With these new…

Opinion Columns, SOAPBOX

Bartlett Bulletin: County Resources to Prepare for Disaster

By OC Supervisors Chairperson Lisa Bartlett Southern California got a wake-up call on Fourth of July, and again on July 5, when 6.4 and 7.1…

Opinion Columns, SOAPBOX

Bartlett Bulletin: Riding Into Summertime in City Trolleys

By OC Supervisor Lisa Bartlett The signs of summertime are finally here! After what seemed to be a never-ending, rainy winter and spring, the sunshine…

Opinion Columns, SOAPBOX

Guest Opinion: Open Space No Longer Open to Public?

By Mark Nielsen, former mayor of San Juan Capistrano The City of San Juan Capistrano is holding public workshops this month on the fate…

Opinion Columns, SOAPBOX

Guest Column: Is the City Council Giving Up on Preserving the Past?

By Mark Nielsen I find it ironic that the City Council recognized May as National Historic Preservation Month, when they seem to be working to…

Opinion Columns, SOAPBOX

Guest Opinion: Restoring The Toll Roads to Its Core Mission

By Assemblymember Bill Brough Transportation Corridor Agencies (TCA) formed in 1986 as a joint powers authority (JPA) by the County and several cities following planning…

Opinion Columns, SOAPBOX

Letter from the Publisher: Honors for Picket Fence Media’s Editorial Staff

By Norb Garrett, owner & publisher of Picket Fence Media Our entire team at Picket Fence Media works hard every day to provide the very…

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Moments in Time: Woman’s Club Transforms From Social Group to Civic Leaders

By Jan Siegel On Tuesday, March 8, 1921, a group of 16 women met with their “handy work” at the home of Mrs. Guy Williams…

Opinion Columns, SOAPBOX

Friends of the Library: Library Encourages Young Readers

By Rhonda DeHaan Young readers are invited to the San Juan Capistrano Library to vote on their favorite books. Millions of children have participated in…

Opinion Columns, SOAPBOX

Dirt Therapy: March in the Ordinary Garden

By Marianne Taylor I love March! Okay, a shameless plug: it’s my birthday and my granddaughter’s as well, and I have just celebrated my sixth…

Opinion Columns, SOAPBOX

Moments in Time: Portola Expedition Finds Its Way to SJC

By Jan Siegel I do not like repeating myself, but it really is true that if you check far back enough, most things in California…

Opinion Columns, SOAPBOX

Wellness & Prevention: Helping Families for Over Five Years

By Susan Parmelee The mission of the Wellness & Prevention Center is to help youth and families lead healthy lives. When we founded the nonprofit…

Opinion Columns, SOAPBOX

Friends of the Library: Have you Hugged Your Library Lately?

By Rhonda DeHaan February is Library Lovers’ Month, so be sure to stop by the San Juan Capistrano Library to discover all there is to…

The McStay Memorial Bench in North Beach. Photo: Tom Blake

Opinion Columns, SOAPBOX

On Life and Love after 50: The McStay Family Deserves Closure

By Tom Blake In 1986, I met Susan McStay in Texas while on a business trip. A long-distance relationship began between Dallas and San Rafael,…

Sheep are herded through downtown San Juan Capistrano, circa late 1800s. Courtesy of OC Archives

Opinion Columns, SOAPBOX

Then & Now: Basques Find Fortune in Sheep Herding

By Rhonda DeHaan Perhaps the oldest and most distinctive European civilization, the Basques come from a rugged region along the border between Spain and France….